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P. BOYD. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING PIPE.

No. 606,159. Patented June 21-, 1898.

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APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING PIPE.

Patented JuneZl, 1898.

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P.BOYD. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING PIPE. No. 606,159. Patented June 21,1898.

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No. 606,159. .Patented Jun21,1898.

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ANITED STATES PETER BOYD, OF WIIEELING, VVE S'I VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE RIVERSIDE IRON WORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING PIPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,159, dated June 21, 1898.

' Application filed December may. Serial No. 663,655. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER BOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVheelin g, in the county of Ohio and State of gVVest Virginia, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Pipe, of which improvements the following is a specification;

The invention described herein relates to IO certain improvements in mechanism for feeding pipe blanks or skelps into the heatingfurnace, the feeding being simultaneous with the inward or forward movement of the draft mechanism employed for pulling the blanks I 5 or skelps out of the furnace and through the bending or welding dies or bells; and in general terms the invention consists in a construction and arrangement of feeding-in mechanism whereby such operations may be performed automatically and without the attendance of any workman or other operative near the furnace except the welder.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pipe-welding apparatus having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, looking at the mechanism from the furnace end. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the line III III, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, the plane of section beingindicate d by the line IV IV, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view illustrating a modified form or construction of a portion of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a top plan viewof a portion of the mechanism for eifecting the lateral movement of the pipe blanks or skelps. Fig. 7 is a sectional view, the plane of section being indicated by the line VII VII, Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to Fig. 7, illustrating modifications of the blank-shifting mechanism; and Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the I construction shown in Fig. 9.

In Letters Patent No. 575,389, granted to me January 19, 1897, I have described and shown a construction of draft mechanism for the manufacture of pipes which is practically automatic as regards the transverse movements of the draft mechanism, whereby the latter is brought into alinement during each forward movement with the next blank or skelp to be drawn from the furnace.

The improvements forming the subjectmatter herein claimed are shown in connection with the apparatus forming the subjectmatter of the patent above referred to; but the invention herein described is not limited to use in connection with such apparatus, but may be used advantageously in connection with other forms or construction of draft 6o mechanism.

As described in said Letters Patent, the cross-head or buggy 2 is mounted upon rails 1, arranged in front of and preferably at right angles to the front of the furnace A, said buggy being provided with wheels to facilitate its movement back and forth along the rails. This back and-forth movement is effected, preferably, by means of flexible connections to winding-drums 15, located at or near the rear ends of the supportingrails. The cross-head or buggy 2 is moved away from the furnace by means of ropes 16, each passing backward around a guide-pulley 17, and thence around the winding-drum. The movement of the truck toward the furnace is effected by ropes 18, connected thereto and passing forward around guide-pulleys 19 and then back and around guide-pulleys at the ends of the rails 1, and thence to the windingdrum, around which it is passed in such manner that when the drum is rotated to wrap the ropes 16 around it the ropes 18 will be unwound. Then the drum is reversed, the ropes 18 will be wound on the drum and the ropes 16 unwound.

The blocks forming the buggy 2 are connected by cross-bars 3, on which are mounted a trolley 4c, from which depends a draft-bar 5, provided at its lower end with a hook 6 or 0 other device, whereby the pipe-tang or gripping-tongs may be detachably connected to the bar. This bar is provided with a downward extension 7, projecting into a longitudinal slot in the laterally-movable pipe-sup- 5 porting bench 8. This bench is supported on rails 9, arranged parallel with'the' front of the furnace, and to one side of theb'ench are secured tubes 10, which are adapted to serve as skids for supporting the pipes as they are moved from the bench to the trough 13. On the under sides of these tubes are secured rack-bars 11, intermeshing with pinions 12 on the shaft 12, whereby the bench is shifted laterally as desired. In order to form an uninterrupted or continuous support between the movable bench and stationary trough 13, two bars 14:, of less diameter than tubes 10, are connected to the trough at one end, while the opposite ends thereof are arranged within the tubes 10 with a freedom of movement back and forth therein. As described in said patent, the shaft 12 is connected by suitable mechanism with the winding-drums or other operating mechanism in such manner that at each forward movement of the draft mechanism toward the furnace the bench is shifted laterally a distance equal to that between two blanks or skelps within the furnace. This step-by-step lateral movement is continued until thebenchhas made acomplete traverse across the front opening in the furnace, when by the operation of suitable mechanism the benclrshifting device will effect a complete return movement of the bench in the opposite direction across the-front of the furnace.

On the'bench is secured a vertical frame or plate 78, and to this plate is attached a horizontal table 79, which may be constructed in the form of a series of bars or a continuous plate. This table 7 9 is located a distance above and so attached to the bench as to permit of the lateral shifting of the completed pipe onto the tubes 10 and their extensions 14 into the trough 13. To the table '79 is attached one end of a series of bars 80, whose opposite ends project into and are capable of back-and-forth movement in tubes 81, which are supported by posts or standards 82. The tubes 81 and bars serve as supports along which the pipe blank or skelp can be shifted onto the table 79. This lateral movement of the blank or skelp is effected by means of arms 82, secured to a frame 83, which is supported with a freedom of back -and-forth movement by rails 8 1. The frame 83 is so mounted on the rails 84 as to be capable of being tipped vertically, so that the arms 82 can be raised above the tubes 81 a distance a little greater than the thickness of the pipe blanks or skelps resting thereon. This vertical movement or tipping of the frame is effected by means of aswitch-rail 8-3, secured to a suitable support above the rails $4. The switch-rail 85 is provided at its front end with a movable section 80, the forward end of which normally rests 011 the rail an. As the frame 83 is moved forward or to the right in off of the brackets 88.

reached the rear position, when the roller 87 will drop off the switch-rail, thereby permitting the frame and its arms to assume normal or operative position. While in some cases it will be readily practicable to place a blank or skelp on the tubes 81 during the forward or return movements of the arms 82, the time during which such movements are effected is quite short. Hence it is preferred to place the blanks or skelps upon brackets 88, secured to the rear side of the arms 82, as shown in Fig. 2. As the arms move forward the skelp will be caughtby levers 89 and pulled These levers 89 are pivotally supported on arms projecting from the supports of the trough 13 and are so weighted that the toes on their upper ends will be held normally above the tubes 81, as shown in Fig. 2. In order to depress these levers 89 and permit of the shifting of the skelp which has been drawn off of the brackets 88 during the previousforward movement of the arms 82, the latter are provided with forward extensions 82, adapted to strike against the levers 89 and depress the latter.

These extensions of the arms 82 and the levers are so constructed and arranged with relation to each other that when the blank on the table 81 has been shifted by the arms 82 beyond the toes 00 the levers 89 will rise up, causing said tees to project into the path of movement of the skelp lying upon the brackets 88 and pull the same from the brackets onto the tubes 81.

The movement of the blanks or skelps from the table 79 into the furnace is effected by a pusher 91, having its lower end forked or otherwise suitably constructed to bear upon or engage the rear ends of the blanks or skelps. This pusher,which should move back and forth simultaneously with the draft-bar, is preferably mounted in suitable bearings formed on the sides of an arm 92, formed on or secured to the draft-bar 5. The pusher is normally held in operative position by means of a spring 93, surrounding the pusher and interposed between a collar thereon and one of its bearings. In order to shift the pusher during the back stroke of the draft-bar, so as to permit of the movement of a skelp onto the table 79, a pin or arm 94 is secured to the pusher and projects laterally therefrom, so as to ride during the back movement of the draft-bar upon a rail 95, secured to the plate .or frame 78, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and

is provided at its forward end with a movable section 96, adapted during the forward movement of the pusher to permit the arm D-l to pass under it, but to raise the arm and pusher against the tension of the spring during the back or operative stroke of the draft-bar.

The frame 83 is shifted forward to place the blanks upon the table 70 by means of a series of pulling devices which are mounted upon rails 97, secured to suitable supports above the rails 1. These pulling devices operate on ropes 98 and 90, connected, respectively, to

arms projecting up from opposite ends of the frame 83. One of these ropes, as 98, passes around guide-pulleys 100 and then in front of stationary. pulleys 101 and has its end secured to a stationary post or support 102. The rope 99 passes directly from its point of connection with the frame 83 in front of the pulleys 101,which are preferably made double or provided with two grooves for the ropes. The pulling devices consist of a series of blocks 103, mounted, as before stated, upon the rails 97 and having thereon a series of double pulleys 104:. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the ropes 98 and 99 pass in front of the stationary pulleys l 01 and behind the pulleys 104, which when the pulling devices are in their forward position project between and beyond the pulleys 101. Any. suitable form or construction of mechanism may be employed for causing the blocks 103 to move with the buggy or cross-head 2 during its back stroke,

but should be so constructed as to release or permit the independent return movement of the pulling devices after a predetermined movement thereof, as will be hereinafter described.

A suitable form or construction of mechanism for detachably connecting the pulling devices with the cross-head or buggy 2 consists of a bell-crank lever 105, mounted on a block 106, which is permanently connected with a block 103 by a link 107. This bell-crank lever is so mounted in the block 106 that its lower arm 111 will project down into the path of movementof a pin 108, secured to the block or buggy 2. The opposite arm of the bellcrank lever is provided with rollers 109,adapt-. ed to bear upon the upper edges of the rails 97, so as to prevent any shifting of the bellcrank lever when operated on by the pin 108. As the buggy 2 moves back, or to the left in Fig. 3, it will strike against the downwardlyprojecting arm of the bell'crank lever and shift the blocks 106 and 103 with the pulley 10 1, thereby drawing in on the ropes 98 and 99 and pulling in the frame 83, so as to shift a blank or skelp onto the table 79. In order to release the bell-crank lever from engagement with the pin 108 after a sufficient movement of the pulley 104 to shift a blank onto the table 79, notches 110 are formed in the inner surfaces of the rails 97 'to permit the roller 109 to drop down and the other arm, 11], of the lever 105 to turn up out of the path of movement of the pin 108. As soon as the roller 109 begins to move into the slot 110 the weights 112, connected by ropes 113 to arms 114 on the frame 83, will become operative to pull the blocks 106 and 103 forward, and by the time the pin 108 has been released from the arm 11] of the bell-crank lever the roller 109 has beenfforced below the rails 97, so that the blocks 106 and 103 will be returned to normal position. The number of pulling devices employed will be dependent upon the number of blanks which are to be charged into the furnace. In the present instance five such blanks are placed in the f nrnace and five pulling devices are employed. 0

' By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the releasing-notches in the rails 97 are arranged at diiferent distances from the front in the rails 97, the arms 111 assuming vertical position. As the cross-head or buggy 2 returns to front position one of the pins 108 will strike the depending arm of the pulling device last shifted and so shift said arm as to raise the roller 109 away from the rails 97 and into engagement with a catch 115, which will hold the roller 109 in raised position and the arm 111 in such position as to permit of the freepassage of the pin 108 on the next return stroke of the cross-head or buggy 2.

In order to release the bell-cranks from the catches 115, so that the arm 111 of the proper pulling mechanism will drop into the path of movement of one of the pins 108 on the next back stroke of the cross-head or buggy 2, a rotatable shaft 116 is mounted in suitable bearings transverse of the rails 97 and is provided with a series of striking-arms 117, adapted when the shaft is rotated to strike and shift the catch 115 of the pulley mechanism to be operated, thereby releasing the bell-crank lever, so that the rollers 109' will drop onto the slides 118 and the armlll move into the path of movement of the pin 108. The slides 118 are arranged in suitable bearings 119 alongside of the rails 97 and are held by springs 120, so as to bridge the slots and prevent the roller 109 passing down through the slot when the pin 108 strikes the arm 111 to shift the pulling mechanism. The shaft 116 is rotated intermittently and in correspondence with the stepby-step movement of the bench 8 by the shaft 12 through the medium of suitably-interposed shafts and gearing, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of my improved mechanism is as follows, it being supposed that the crosshead or buggy 2 is in its forward position ready to pull a heated blank or skelp from the furnace: As the draft-bar is moved back, pulling with it the heated blank or skelp, the pulling mechanism in line with the blank or skelp which has been pushed into the furnace by the preceding forward stroke of the pusher is shifted away from the furnace by the engagement of one of the pins 108 with the arm 111 of the bell-crank lever of the proper pulling mechanism. By the'movement of the pulling mechanism away from the furnace the frame 83. is moved, to the right in Fig. 2 topush a skelp or blank onto the table '7 9. By the preliminary movement of the frame the lever 89 is moved down to release the skelp resting upon the tubes 81, and as soon as released by the shifting of such skelp by the arms 82 the free ends of the levers will rise to pull a skelp off of the brackets 88. By the continued movement of the frame 83 a skelp is deposited upon the table 79. Simultaneous with the deposit of the blank or skelp on the table 79 the pulling mechanism is released from engagement with the pin 108 on the cross-head or buggy 2 and the pulling mechanism is pulled forward to' normal position and the frame 83 pulled back to normal position'by the weights 112. As soon as the draft-bar has reached the rearward limit of its movement the welded pipe is detached therefrom and rolled onto the skids 10, which have sufficient inclination to cause the pipe to roll down into the trough 13. As the draft mechanism reaches the rear limit of its movement the arm 94: on the pusher 91 will pass off the rail 95, allowing the pusher to drop down into line with the blank or skelp on the table 79. As soon as the welded pipe is detached from the draft-bar the windingdrum is reversed to move the draft-bar and pusher toward the furnace. The first reverse movement of the winding-drum operating through the mechanism described and shown in the patent referred to will shift the bench 8, draft-bar, pusher, and table 7 9 laterally a suflicient distance to bring the bench and draft-bar in line with a skelp or blank in the furnace and the table 79 and pusher into line with the space from which a blank or skelp was drawn by the preceding back stroke of the cross-head or buggy 2. By the forward m ovement of the pusher the blank or skelp is,

pushed into proper position in the furnace. By the operation of the bench-shifting mechanism the shaft 116 is rotated so as to release the catch 115 of the pulling mechanism which was last operated and to shift the catch of the pulley mechanism which is to be operated next, thereby releasing the bell-crank lever of this second mechanism, so that on the next back stroke of the cross-head or buggy 2 the pulling mechanism will be operated to shift the frame 88 forward to move ablank or skelp onto the table 79 in its new position.

It will be observed that after the last blank has been pulled from the furnace the bench with the table 79 must be shifted into line with the vacant space in the furnace and that the draft mechanism will make one front and back stroke without pulling a blank from the furnace. During this extra stroke of the draft mechanism none of the pulling devices should be operated. To this end a clutch mechanism 121 is arranged in theshaft connections between the shaft 12 and the strikershaft 116. It is preferred to so arrange this clutch mechanism that it will be operated automatically by the movements of the bench or its connections. This can be effected by securing an arm 122 on the rack-bar or tube 10 in such position as to open the clutch when the bench is shifted to the last position in its step-by-step movement. As the striker-shaft should not be rotated during the reverse movement of the bench to its initial position, but should be operated on the shifting of the bench from its initial to its second position, provision is made for automatically closing the clutch at the proper time by so securing an arm 123 on the rack-bar or tube 10 that it will close the clutch as the bench in its re verse movement reaches its initial position, as shown in Fig. 2..

As shown in Fig. 8, the bell-crank lever 105 can be shifted to operative position by the arms 117 on the striker-shaft 116 by securing a finger 124: to the bell-crank lever in such position that when the shaft 116 is rotated one of its arms will strike against the bent end of the finger 124:, thereby shifting the bell-crank lever to operative positton and holding it in such position until the rollers 109 have been moved out of line with the notches 110".

In Figs. 9 and 10 is shown a desirable manner of detachably connecting the pulling mechanisms to the draft cross-head or bugg 2. The blocks 103 areprovided with spring or gravity actuated hooks 125, which project down a suflicient distance to be engaged by a finger or projection 126 on the trolley 4, which is moved along the draft cross-head or buggy 2 by the bench 8, as described. The hooks 125 are provided with forwardly-projecting prongs 127, which are adapted to strike against pins 128 and raise the hooks out of the path of the finger or projection 120, thereby permitting the blocks 103" to be returned to normal position, as described. The pins 128 are secured to the rails 97 at different points in accordance with the desired variations in the movements of the pulling mechanisms. buggy is returned to front position the finger 126 will strike the inclined faces of the hooks and shift them out of the way. The lateral movement of the trolley 4 by the bench 8 during the front stroke of the buggy 2 will bring the finger 120 into line with that block 103 which is to be shifted 011 the next back stroke of the bugg Ordinarily the blank or skelp will be given sufficient impetus by the movement of the pusher to place it entirelywithin the furnace; but, if desired, the pusher maybe formed with a forwardly-projecting arm 91 of suflicient length, as shown in Fig. 5, to reach entirely within the" furnace and insure the proper placing of the blank therein.

As the draft cross-head or,

It will be readily understood by those skilled the number of workmen around the furnace can be greatly reduced.

iVhile I have described with some particularity the form and construction of mechanism which now seems to me preferable for the practice of my invention, I do not limit myself herein to such forms or constructions of such mechanisms, but includewithin the broad terms of the claims such modifications or changes as will readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic.

I claim herein as my invention 1. 'In an apparatus for bending or welding pipe, the combination of a support or table for pipe blanks or skelps arranged in front of the heating-furnace, reciprocating draft mechanism, and a pusher operated by the draft mechanism for shifting the blank or skelp from said support or table into the f u rnace, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for bending or welding pipe, the combination of a support or table for pipe blanks or skelps, a reciprocating draft mechanism, means for adjusting the table and draft mechanism across the charging-opening of the furnace and a pusher connected to the draft mechanism for shifting the blanks or skelps from the table into the furnace, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for bending or welding pipe, the combination of a table or support, mechanism for feeding blanks or skelps onto said table, and a reciprocatingpusher for shifting the blanks or skelps from the table into the furnace, and connections from the pusher to the blank feeding mechanism whereby the latter is operated by the pusher,

substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus for bending or welding pipe, the combination of a table or support, mechanism for feeding blanks or skelps onto said table, a reciprocating draft mechanism, and a pusheroperated by the draft mechanism for shifting the blanks or skelps from the table into the furnace, substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus for the manufacture of pipe, the combination of mechanism for shifting blanks or skelps into feeding position in front of a furnace, a pusher for shifting the blanks or skelps into the furnace, and a draft mechanism for pulling the blanks from the furnace and for operating the pusher, substantially as set forth.

6. Inan apparatus for the manufacture of pipe, the combination of a laterally-movable bench, a laterally-movable draft mechanism, a table or support for blanks or skelps movable with the bench and a pusher for shifting the blanks or skelps into the furnace, operative by the draft mechanism, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus for the manufacture of pipe, the combination of a table or support, a pusher for shifting the blank or skelp into the furnace, a draft mechanism for pulling the blanks or skelps from the furnace, and mechanism controlled by the draft mechanism for shifting the table-pusher and draft mechanism laterally, substantially as set forth.

8. In an apparatus for manufacturing pipe, the combination of mechanism for shifting blanks or skelps into feeding position, a pusher for shifting the blanks or skelps into the furnace, a draft mechanism for pulling blanks from the furnace, the pusher and shifting mechanism being operative by the draft mechanism, substantially as set forth.

9. In an apparatus for the manufacture of pipe, the combination of a frame for shifting blanks or skelps laterally to feed position, a draft mechanism and pulling mechanism operative by the draft mechanism for shifting the frame laterally, substantially as set forth.

10. In an apparatus for the manufacture of pipe, the combination of a draft mechanism, a frame for laterally shifting blanks or skelps to feed position, pulling mechanism having a detachable connection with the draft mechanism for shifting said frame, and means operative on a predetermined movement of the frame for releasing the connection between the draft and pulling mechanism, substantially as set forth. I

11. In an apparatus for the manufacture of pipe, the combination of draft mechanism, a frame for laterally shifting blanks or skelps to feed position, a series of pulling mechanisms for shifting the frame to different positions, means for detachably connecting one of said pulling mechanisms to the draft mechanism during the back stroke of the latter and means for releasing such connection on a predetermined movement of the draft mechanism, substantially as set forth.

12. In an apparatus for the manufacture of pipe, the combination of a laterally-adjustable draft mechanism, a laterally-adjustable pusher for feeding blanks or skelps into a furnace, a frame for laterally shifting blanks or skelps to feed position, a series of pulling mechanisms for shifting the frame to different positions, means for detachably connecting one of said pulling mechanisms to the draft mechanism during the back stroke of the latter and means for releasing such connection on a predetermined movement of the latter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PETER BOYD. lVitnesses F. E. GAITHER, DARWIN S. WOLOOTT. 

